Written by

Nathan Baird
nbaird@jconline.com

The young basketball star, in the prime of a seemingly charmed life, suddenly collapses on the court.

The harrowing final moments of Hank Gathers' life stunned the nation when the Loyola Marymount star died during a game in 1990. The tragedy had a profound impact on another young basketball standout born three years after Gathers' death.

"I watched a documentary on Hank Gathers, so I knew everything about what happened to him," Purdue redshirt freshman Jay Simpson said. "I never thought it would happen to me, though." ...